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<html><head><title>Building a Concert Classical Guitar - Fretboard</title>

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<h1>Fretboard</h1>

<p>Body and neck have been assembled, the fretboard is next.</p>

<p>In contrast to Middleton, I suggest to cut the fret slots <em>before</em> the board is glued to the neck. This allows to use a slotting jig, which helps to keep the angle at exact 90 degrees to the center line, as well as setting the slot depth.</p>

<h2>Tools and Materials</h2>

<ul>
<li>Fret saw, or back saw with an appropriate cut width, and teeth geometry laid out for cross-grain cuts (i. e. not a rip-saw)</li>
<li>A rip saw for cutting the binding strips</li>
<li><a href="???">Screw cramp</a> for the sound hole</li>
<li>A set of 4 <a href="???">Neck screw cramps</a></li>
<li>An F clamp for the heel area</li>
<li>Titebond glue</li>
<li>Spokeshave</li>
<li>Cabinet scraper</li>
<li>Sharp right and left angled chisel</li>
<li>Sandpaper</li>
<li>Sanding blocks</li>
</ul>

<p>I assume that the fretboard will get a binding to hide the ends of the fret tangs from public appearance.</p>

<ul>
<li>Scribe the center line on the board.</li>
<li>Scribe the sides on the board using a marking knife. </li>
</ul>

<p>Leave some Material on both sides for the cut width and the binding strip.</p>

<p>Be sure to scribe with the grain to avoid that the wood structure deflects the blade. </p>

<p>The width at nut depends on the preferences of the player. Usual values are anyting from 48 to 58 mm. Width at the 12th fret is usually 62 mm <span class="ToBeConfirmed">(???)</span>.</p>

<ul>
<li>Cut the sides using the rip saw.</li>
</ul>

<p>Make sure to stay outside of the lines with the cut.</p>

<ul>
<li>Plane the sides with a jointer square, and plane exatly to the side lines.</li>
</ul>

<li>Then its </li>

<ul>

</ul>

<p>The sound hole screw cramp must be padded on the underside so that no sound bars or bracings are damaged. The neck heel extention may get in the way at some point. The areas to the left and right of the heel foot cannot be used to apply counterpressure, because this would break the thin soundboard.</p>

<p>A dowel pin hole in the heel foot might help to keep the cramp in place when the screws are tightend.</p>

<p>Thick cork padding is advised near the sound hole. This should keep the pressure on the sound board low. The main force should go on the neck foot, and a little less on the sound bars.</p>

<p>Two pressure screws should be enough to clamp the fretboard to the soundboard.</p>

<p>Using hide glue seems to be impossible here, because the time to setup the cramps and clamps is expected to be too long.</p>

<h2>Procedure</h2>

<ul>
<li>Plane the underside.</li>
<li>Plane the top to just above the desired thickness.</li>
<li>If the construction requires, taper the thickness accordingly</li>
<li>Cut at the nut end.</li>
<li>Sand the underside with 80 Grid sandpaper if you use oily wood such as ebony.</li>
<li>Draw a center line on top.</li>
<li>Draw a center line on the bottom at the soundhole end.</li>
<li>Saw the sides to the exact width and lengthwise taper.</li>
<li>Create a nut piece of the exact desired width.</li>
<li>Fit it into the nut slot in the neck.</li>
</ul>

<p>This piece will act as a stop for the fretboard.</p>

<ul>
<li>If required, taper the fretboard end to match the slope of the sound board.</li>
</ul>

<p>If the neck is angled back too much so that there is a gap between fretboard and sound board, there is something wrong with the geometry. You can still patch some wood under the fretboard in the soundboard area, and fit a ramp that matches the shape of the top. You then have an "elevated" fretboard...</p>

<ul>
<li>Fix the fretboard to the neck, making sure that it is centered, and butts against the nut piece.</li>
<li>Make sure that it does not slide.</li>
<li>Mark the outline of the sound hole on the underside of the fretboard.</li>
<li>Saw the excess off, using a coping saw.</li>
<li>Sand to final shape.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Glue the fretboard to the neck.</li>
<li>Make sure the fretboard is exactly centered.</li>
<li>Clamp to position at the neck end first.</li>
<li>Align to center at sound hole.</li>
<li>Tighten the neck screw cramps.</li>
<li>Insert the soundhole screw clamps and press the fretboard to the soundboard.</li>
<li>Attach the F clamp to the heel area.</li>
<li>Tighten the clamps evenly.</li>
</ul>

<p>Then let the assembly dry.</p>

<p>The neck has been left wider on purpose.</p>

<ul>
<li>Use a spokeshave, chisel and scraper to fit the neck width to the fretboard.</li>
<li>Do not touch the fretboard width along the upper edge. Only blend a thin line where the fretboard meets the neck.</li>
<li>Use a sharp chisel and scraper to blend the heel shape to the fretboard.</li>
<li>Finish with sandpaper.</li>
</ul>

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